


外國龍

by Val Mora (valmora)



Category: Temeraire - Naomi Novik
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Species Swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 23:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2750978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valmora/pseuds/Val%20Mora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prince Mien-Hsiang, curious, makes friends with some children from the strange foreign delegation to the Court. </p><p>And then there is the dragon egg they had to bring with them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	外國龍

**Author's Note:**

> ETA 11 Dec 2014: Title edited because I realized I'd gotten my languages mixed up. OTL
> 
> Although Naomi Novik gives Temeraire's Chinese name as "Xiang," this is (as the wiki notes) anachronistic, as that's pinyin romanization. I've adapted it to "Hsiang" for consistency with Wade-Giles. 
> 
> I've used the generation name "Mien" for Temeraire and his twin, and naturally removed it from Miankai and Mianning (again, please note the romanization difference).
> 
> I've handwaved the Chinese custom of permitting dragons to reach adulthood before choosing a companion, in deference to English customs in Laurence's case.

Mien-hsiang probably shouldn't, but he's very curious. This is the first time he's seen foreigners from whatever country they're from, and he hears it's very close to wherever that funny-looking ambassador is from. They probably look alike.

(They really do.)

Their delegation has a few children, so he plays with them, since he evaded his guards again today. They shouldn't make it so easy to hide from them if they don't want him to wander off like this. Besides, it's not like the other kids want to hurt him. They were playing dice differently, so he learned their way, and then taught his, somehow.

He only realizes that something's strange when he sees the box and the steam in the back of their quarters.

"Oh," says Matthew, who whistles strangely because of some baby teeth that only just fell out, "The message dragon got sick. She had egg. Then died. Now egg, wait."

"But who will look after it?" Mien-hsiang peers into the box. His twin brother, Mien-chuan, is already companion to Lung Tien Ning, but there aren't any other Celestials of the right age to be his companion, so Mien-hsiang as the younger twin has to make do with being annoying to Ning to spend any time with dragons. He _likes_ dragons. He's always bothering the couriers, when he's allowed, and when they don't get all stuffy and upset that he wants to visit.

"Dunno." Matthew kicks his way up to look at the egg. "Doctor says soon."

Mien-hsiang reaches out to touch. "What kind of dragon?"

Matthew's smile is wide. "Dunno. Dragon," and then he says a word that Mien-hsiang doesn't understand at _all_. The gestures afterwards don't help, either. Finally they both give up.

 

 

The dragon hatches while Mien-hsiang is there, because Mien-hsiang _meant_ to be there. He's never seen a dragon hatching.

The shell breaks, spilling fluid, and there's a little dragon, all greyish and leathery-floppy, making almost no noise as it looks around at the assembled people.

"Well," says one of the Englishmen as the dragon shakes itself a little, and then Matthew says, "Hello!" kneeling in front of it.

The dragon ignores him and crawls determinedly to Mien-hsiang.

One of the Englishmen says a word that Mien-hsiang definitely doesn't know, and that's interesting, but his hands are full of egg-wet dragon, his clothes soaking as he gathers his companion - his friend, all the lengths of their lives - into his arms.

"What will you call it?" Matthew asks. Mien-hsiang almost doesn't hear him, helpless with joy as the dragon tucks his face into Mien-hsiang's shoulder.

"He should name himself, since he doesn't have a parent to do it for him," Mien-hsiang says, then, to the dragon, "What would you like to be named?"

The dragon sighs. "But I'm very hungry."

Mien-hsiang laughs.

**Author's Note:**

> Laurence, as a European dragon, does not have a "dragon type" name (c.f. Tien or Yu). You may speculate on what it might be, though I'm partial to his full name being Lung Ren Ze (龍仁則), if only for the phonetic similarity. "Ren" refers to the Confucian virtue of benevolence or compassion, while "ze" means "rule" or "regulation". 
> 
> (Whether these are appropriate for use in names is another matter, however, as Chinese is very definitely _not_ the East Asian language I speak. Comments welcomed.)


End file.
